Housing shortage concerns public

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Eight out of 10 people living in Scotland think affordable rented housing is in short supply, according to a poll.

The survey also found Scots want the government to inject more cash into providing homes for people.

The results have been released by housing charity Shelter Scotland.

It strongly urged the country's new first minister to take heed of the public's concerns by placing housing at the heart of spending priorities.

The survey of 1,001 people in Scotland, carried out shortly before the recent election, found 80% of those questioned agreed that there was a serious lack of affordable housing available to rent from councils or housing associations.

'Cold reality'

A further 84% thought the Scottish Executive had ignored public rented housing needs for too long.

They said it must increase the amount it spends on affordable rented housing.

Shelter Scotland said the results were a reminder of the problems Scottish local authorities face in housing people.

In Scotland, more than 200,000 people are on house waiting lists, while over 8,000 households are in temporary accommodation.

There are thousands of first time buyers struggling to get onto the property ladder, while some are increasingly overstretched after four interest rate rises since last summer.

This is a timely reminder that the politics of Scotland might have changed but the priorities have not Andrew Field

Shelter Scotland director, Archie Stoddart, added: "Whoever leads Scotland today and determines our spending priorities over the coming years, cannot afford to ignore the cold reality of this poll, which shows that people up and down the country think affordable rented housing needs to be a top priority.

"As the political map of Scotland changes, it is interesting to hear the recent comments of Gordon Brown, who has recognised the vital role of housing for rent and the need for more homes.

"We hope the new Scottish administration will be progressive enough to realise that a good home is central to the health and wellbeing of our nation's people and that ordinary families up and down the country can ill afford for housing to be ignored any longer."

Shelter Scotland launched its "It's time to get a move in" campaign back in February, urging the Scottish Executive to fund 30,000 homes over the next three years, through this year's comprehensive spending review.

'Firm commitment'

The charity - along with other housing organisations - argues that 2007 presents the best opportunity to significantly invest in housing and help alleviate the current strain on Scotland's housing market.

Reacting to the poll, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) demanded a commitment from the likely new SNP executive for more affordable housing.

The SFHA's director of strategy, Andrew Field, said, "This is a timely reminder that the politics of Scotland might have changed but the priorities have not.

"We need a firm commitment from the new Scottish Executive to provide more affordable housing for rent, and the SFHA will be seeking an early meeting with the new minister to convey this."